Confessions of a Sewer Rat

by Ciaran Carty

[wyvernfriend]

Published in 1995 it is sometimes funny to read about now-established up-and-coming then actors and directors. There are three threads to the story, first about him getting stroppy about books, that ends up with him getting back those books (including To Kill a Mockingbird, formerly banned in this country now almost compulsory reading in schools) and in a cascade effect having the banned literature laws reviewed.

So when he discovers that the films he's reviewing are being cut, often for very shallow reasons he decides to publicise this, name and shame and see what he could do about at least starting a debate on the topic, particularly when he's denounced as a "Sewer rat". The son of a newspaper editor he knows many of the people in the country and it also shows how Ireland often has a too small error lurking.

The third part discusses the beginnings of the modern film-making culture in Ireland, including a lot of plaudits for Michael D Higgins, our current president.

In many ways it's a story of the coming-of-age of Ireland and it's change from being caught up in an attempt to forge a society that it's heart really only had "Not English" as a basis to a more modern society. We still have a distance to go but we'll get there, I hope.